Friday, November 27, 2009

Good Old Fashioned Sweets

If there’s something we’ve learned in the year and a half we’ve been open, everyone (and we really do mean EVERYONE) has a special candy that really takes them back. Back to grandma’s house, back to summers in the tree house, back to yearly packages from abroad, back to those memories only a very specific taste can revive. We’re an absolute sucker for those stories and find ourselves “going back” from time to time, even when we least expect!

It is safe to say that there are a number of holiday-related treats that take people back and even if the following aren’t a part of your gastronomical memory, you just may find a new sweet to come back to for years to come.

Robertson’s Candy is a Canadian company based in Truro, Nova Scotia and, without intending, they have become a major part of the collective childhood memories for many Canadians, both Maritimer and mainlander. Operating since 1928, this company is still family owned and operated, (a feat unto itself) and using traditional recipes perfected through years of practice, they produce confections such as barley toys, chicken bones, humbugs, ribbon candy and sponge taffy.

Barley toys, or clear toys, may be familiar to you already, especially if you recall the entry from last year where we declared our love for them, but what about the others? Chicken bones are beautiful pale pink candy sticks flavoured with cinnamon and hiding a chocolate center. We get a strange look every so often when offering someone a chicken bone during the holidays, but those moments where they bring back holiday memories and feelings long forgotten are what makes them so special to us. Making them even more special, like much of their candy, Robertson’s only produces them once a year for the holidays – once they’re gone, they’re gone and you’re going to have to ration your supply to make it through the long months ahead (we know – we have!).

Humbugs are perhaps a bit more common, even if only because of Ebenezer Scrooge and his famous line. Robertson’s again, makes these delicately flavoured boiled sweets during the holiday season. Lightly flavoured with peppermint, Robertson’s humbugs evoke holiday memories far and wide as they continue to be a wildly popular treat throughout the UK and Canada. Blackadder fans will no doubt recall the holiday episode wherein Blackadder offered Baldrick a humbug.

Ribbon candy and sponge taffy round out our offerings from Robertson’s and make an impressive showing. The satiny sheen of the delicate and brightly colour ribbon candy almost makes you want to hang it on the tree instead of eat it, but, of course, it won’t make it to our tree! And the sponge taffy, something so simple, is delicious on its own, but becomes even more enticing when used in holiday baking – we’ll let you know how we fare with this next week!

December's cupcake menu will be up shortly and for all your instant candy news, check out our Facebook Page! Not only will you find the blogs, but also we'll update you whenever a popular or new item is back in stock (malt balls, anyone??). Never miss your fix again!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

It’s beginning to look a lot like….

Ok, we couldn’t help ourselves, but let’s be honest, most of the major holiday events will be taking place in the next month so it's time to start thinking about the holidays (23 days until Hanukkah and 37 days until Christmas, just in case you’re wondering!). We’ve made the switch to the holiday season at The Candy Store and even put up the tree in the window. Our holiday favourites are arriving on a daily basis and the best place to keep track of all the goodies is through instant updates in your Facebook News Feed for The Candy Store! As soon as any new goodies arrive at our store and the elves have put the treats out, we announce it on Facebook so you’ll never miss out on your favourites!

New for us this year are the beautiful Handmade Candy Canes and Ribbon Candy from Hammond’s Candies in Denver, Colorado. The candy canes are nearly nine inches long and come in eight fanciful flavours: cranberry, apple pie, cherry, strawberry, butterscotch, peppermint, wintergreen and cinnamon (yes sweetheart, I’ve already bought you one). The canes are individually wrapped and have already attracted a lot of attention in the 24 hours they’ve been here! Made using their tested and true methods perfected over years of lollipop production, Hammond’s have outdone themselves with these exquisite candy canes. Their production floor looks like so much fun, but you have to see it for yourself – check out this video clip from the Food Network showcasing Hammond’s factory and try not to spend the afternoon thinking of ways to get to Denver!

Natacha, a local teacher, gave us this next tip: Did you know that November 20th is the United Nations’ Universal Children’s Day? 50 years ago the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, an expanded version of a 1923 document adopted by the International Save the Children Union. To mark the 50th anniversary, the International Committee of the Red Cross is working to shed light on the risks and needs of children living in areas of armed conflict and how to protect them. So however you chose to spend your Friday, cherish the children in your life!